The food is incredible, wow!! I was positively blown away by this experience. To my surprise, I really enjoyed their style of dining - where every member of the party is recommended to order 2-3 dishes (2 is plenty) and then share - as it allowed us to taste nearly half the menu. We all managed to find a favorite by the end and are decidedly returning in the future. They were also very educated, helpful, and accommodating of allergies.The ONLY negative note I have is that the tables in the front of the restaurant are extremely noisy and it's hard to hear even someone right beside you. The front room is all concrete and glass, so sound just seems to reverberate. Otherwise, phenomenal.
The atmosphere is great, the food is good, the service is slow, and the staff is cold.The first thing you must know about this place is that the prices are terrible. I will be going into that but first I would like to set the tone of the dining experience that I had here.When we first sat down we were displeased to see that they have a little QR card you have to scan in order to view the menu.I asked for a physical menu because I have 3g data on my phone and the waiter tried to convince me to scan anyways. I told her that I did not have the data for it and she legitimately seemed put off by my saying so and she refused to make eye contact with me for the rest of the evening.The waiter also never checked in with us. Each time we needed something we had to look for her and ask her to come over.I understand that waiters aren't paid or treated well so normally I don't mention bad service, but my experience with that waiter was exceptionally uncomfortable.It's also not the first time we have seen the staff being rude here.The first time I ever stepped foot into this restaurant was a few weeks ago. I walked in so that I could ask what the hours were (I did not plan to eat there that day) and when I opened the door the entire staff rolled their eyes at me because it was time for them to stop seating.Now for the prices.The most negative aspect of this place is the absurd portions and how much you pay for them.All of our meals were very tiny.For our last dish- which was supposed to be the main course- we got two scallops for $20 and while they tasted nice and the ingredients were high quality they certainly were NOT worth $10 per scallop.At the end of the night my husband told me "even if the prices were half that, I still wouldn't eat there" and I agree.Anyways I sure hope that their kitchen staff is more competent than their wait staff because I ordered the beef tartar.
I landed here after being turned away from another nearby restaurant. Wow! The staff were welcoming and friendly, and the vibe sophisticated, but down to earth. I had the smoked beets, where robust smokiness blends with horseradish in a silky smooth cashew sauce. It was a totally new blend of flavors for me and soooo good! I also ordered the tuna, which was equally amazing. I can't recommend this place highly enough; while the exterior comes across as understated, it ranks in the top tier of Charlottesville's family of fabulous restaurants.
You can do a lot better dining in Charlottesville than at this place. The food was not great, and the place was pretentious. I don't usually post reviews but was disappointed enough in my experience here that I thought people should know ...
The cocktails were so good, then the food was even better. Every bite we had was incredible, and we can't wait to go back to try more. On top of it all, it's a fun atmosphere in a reconverted garage and the server was very friendly and helpful.
Great place! This place was not here when I graduated from Darden but I wish it had. Stumbled on this place while researching places to dine for my engagement weekend trip with my partner. The waiter heard our news and gave us a complimentary glass of sparkling wine to celebrate. We tried a number of plates in spirit of the shared plates set up. My partner’s favorite plate was the manchego pan tomate and the baked potatoe. I tried some as well and it was quite tasty. I had the pear salad which was quite tasty for a healthier meal. I tried the mushroom tostada, which was good, except it was a little too spicy for our taste. For drinks, I had the Margarita with the mescal chaser and it was delicious! For my second drink, in the spirit of our celebration, I had the baltimore drink - incredible! Excellent decorations and I highly recommend coming here if you like Spanish/Mexican themed cuisine !!Also, I have many many food allergies and staff took the time to make me a personalized menu outlining my allergy-free options. Much much appreciated :)
Fantastic small plates. The food will definitely not disappoint. It's perfect for a special occasion or small group of people. Expect to spend $60 to $80 a person with one to two drinks per person. Highly recommend. Reservations will be needed and parking can be challenging.
We had been to Little Star in December of 2021 and absolutely loved their tapas dishes, and they had a lot for vegetarians. We were looking forward to dining with them for valentines -so we reserved a table for Friday - a couple of hours ago! It was hugely disappointing that whoever the salting chef is was far too heavy handed with it! The fries, the salad (which we exchanged for a no salt one), and even the dessert were far too salty! We enjoyed the cocktail and the flatbread with the tomatoes and manchego cheese; and the fried sprouts - which too were a tad bit over salted but had other flavors that distracted from it. This place still has the potential to be one of.my favorite restaurants but they need to dial down the salt -- seriously!
Awesome date night spot! Will go again.
Fairly authentic tapas, attentive/friendly staff, and nice atmosphere. I thought that the mushroom croquettas were especially delicious. The sangria was pretty good but quite pricey for what it is. We had 4 small-ish pescatarian dishes + drinks and it came to about $50 per person with tip/tax included.